Verbena plant named ‘Duefarred’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Duefarred’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading and cascading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and bright red-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Duefarred’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duefarred’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new trailing Verbena cultivars with large and intensely-colored flowers.

The new Verbena originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2001 of a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as F-20-19, not patented. The cultivar Duefarred was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from the aforementioned self-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in July, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany, since July, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duefarred’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duefarred’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, outwardly spreading and cascading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Bright red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of the         parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of         the parent selection.

The new Verbena can be compared to the cultivar, Temari Red, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of the cultivar Temari Red in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more vigorous than plants of         the cultivar Temari Red.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had longer leaves with longer         petioles than plants of the cultivar Termari Red.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had larger umbels than plants of         the cultivar Temari Red.     -   4. Plants of the new Verbena had shorter peduncles than plants         of the cultivar Temari Red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena. The photograph is a close-up view of typical leaves, flower buds and flowers of ‘Duefarred’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in Rheinberg, Germany, in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial Verbena production. Single plants were grown in 13-cm containers and pinched about one week after planting. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures were about 18° C. and light levels were about 4,500 foot-candles. Plants used in the photograph and for the botanical description were about four months old.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Duefarred. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as F-20-19, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as F-20-19, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 10 days at             20° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 21 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 25 days at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, outwardly spreading and             cascading plant habit; mounded and bushy plant form.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely basal branching; about             four to six lateral branches develop per plant. Moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 20 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Internode length: About 4.2 cm. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:             About 4.6 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; coarse. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 146A; venation, 146D. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 146B; venation, 146D. Petiole:             Length: About 6.2 mm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper surface: 146A.             Color, lower surface: 146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers arranged on             hemispherical corymbs. Freely flowering with about 20 to 25             flower buds and flowers per inflorescence. Inflorescences             positioned above and beyond the foliage. Flowers last about             one week on the plant. Corollas not persistent. Flowers not             fragrant.         -   Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous             from spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after pinching.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.3 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Height (depth): About             2.6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: 146A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base.             Length: About 2.6 cm. Width: About 7.2 mm. Shape: Roughly             cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; velvety. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: 45A to 45B. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: 45C to 45D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into an elongated             tube. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; coarse. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 146D and 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About four to five             per flower. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About             0.75 mm. Anther color: 144B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 1.7 cm. Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: 144D.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 144A. Ovary color:             144C. Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35°     C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Duefarred’, as illustrated and described. 